Holy Week is a time to mourn when love is crucified on the cross of fear and hate.
But we know that's not the end of the story.
Our Lenten journey heightens tonight in a journey to the waters of baptismal renewal
in the dark of night. The earliest Christian communities saw this time of the year
as the ultimate time for baptisms because this was when Christ died
and was raised–just as we die to the old and
rise again to new life through our baptisms.
Tonight, we will travel together as companions in this story,
through the "Three Days"–or in Latin, "Triduum"– {tre djew um}
that the church has come to commemorate every year…
the last three days of Jesus' earthly life. But in doing so,
we travel not just through a story long gone,
we also bring to mind the ways this story is still the ongoing story of humankind–
that we are still called to fight injustice just as Jesus did–
to let justice "roll down like waters and righteousness as an overflowing stream."
We acknowledge that all of the elements of creation–
of which we are a part… earth, air, fire and water,
are what make us one with, and the same as,
our religious ancestors who surrounded Jesus in those last few days.
So let us walk with them, with those who, across thousands of years, have kept this vigil.
We travel with Jesus beginning at tonight's service at 7 and then onto the tomb on Sunday morning at 8:15 where we discover anew how he lives in our hearts and then at 10:30 there will be choir music and brass celebrating the resurrection.
Let's be traveling companions!
Rev Kelly
**There will be photographers available following the early service on Sunday to begin capturing images for the photo directory. Show up at early to avoid the rush.
